May 3, 2016
Alignment, Values, Mission, Goals, Happiness
Summary
It’s one thing to espouse a set of values. But we only find true happiness when we live in alignment with those values. We’ll discuss that in our Thought of the Day. Later in our interview segment, we’ll be joined by JB Glossinger, who shows us how to ensure that we live in a way that is truly congruent. That and more on today’s show.
Bob's Thought of the Day
- Bob shares a story from his younger days: when he and a friend went for a drive in his first car, Bob showed him how the car was out of alignment. When he took his hands off the wheel, the car slowly drifted to the right. Without fixing it, it would continue going further away from the correct path.
- The same is true for us: when our actions are out of alignment with our values, we become unhappy. This is important because we want to be happy. The pursuit of happiness is not only written in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, it’s the ultimate goal (even if unconsciously) for every individual.
- Happiness is often the byproduct of living and acting in certain ways, rather than something you seek directly. The late Harry Browne taught that everyone seeks happiness and makes decisions based on what they believe will bring them happiness.
- Bob defines happiness as “a genuine and ongoing feeling of joy and peace of mind: the result of living congruently with one’s values.” In other words, if you want to be happy, your actions must match your values.
- Happiness is not just an individual pursuit. For instance, if the highest value of a sports team is winning, and the team members are all aligned with this value, they will be happier and have more wins than losses. But if several of the players are more interested in themselves than the team, the result will be less happiness and more losses.
- The same is true in business. The culture of a company begins at the top and trickles down. If a leader wants to create a definitive company culture, he or she must communicate a set of values clearly and consistently, then act on those values. But if the leader communicates one set of values, then acts according to another set, it will negatively affect the entire company.
- As individuals or as a team, the most powerful way to attain happiness is to make sure that your goals, values, and actions are all going in the same direction.
Interview with JB Glossinger
- A key premise of the book is found in this passage: “So, freedom was my top value, yet there I was locked in a prison of an office every day. Did I really have to ask why I was miserable? … My goals had been all wrong because they had nothing to do with my values. My life was totally out of alignment with what I really cared about and wanted.”
- JB shares that freedom was an important value of his. However, he realized that the way he was living, and his values, had nothing to do with freedom.
- JB shares a story about connecting with what he calls “the observer.” In this moment, he realized that there was so much more to life than fulfilling his own needs. He experienced an awakening of his spirit and understood that there is more than just the need to be right, wear the right clothes, or pursue other external indicators of success.
- The four main ingredients of the Sacred Six are: alignment, mission, values, and goals.
- Your values are what is important to you. Ask yourself: what is important in my life? What makes me tick? Your values need to be aligned with your mission.
- This process breaks down for many people when it comes to their goals. Everything, including your goals, has to move you toward your mission.
- When you make changes in your life to follow your dreams, it doesn’t always go like you plan. Just because you apply the Sacred Six, doesn’t mean everything will go smoothly.
- JB shares a simple yet powerful lesson from the book, about a man named Frank. He describes the message of Frank’s life this way: “Know what is important to you, and live your life accordingly.” A lot of people spend time doing things they think they want, but really don’t want. That brings suffering.
Resources
The Sacred 6 by JB Glossinger